Traditionally, fuel tank assemblies have a fuel tank with an access hole covered by a flange. An elongated fuel delivery module is carried by and projects downward from the flange, stopping just short of or bearing on the fuel tank bottom. The overall length of the module is generally dictated by an electrical motor and fuel pump disposed in series along a vertical rotational axis. The vertical module length dictates the depth or minimum vertical height of the fuel tank or reservoir. Therefore, the optimum profile of the fuel tank is limited by the vertical length of the fuel delivery module. And, to optimize the already restricted profile, the tank access hole must be located on an upper horizontal surface, and most probably, the highest elevated surface of the fuel tank.
Locating the access hole on top of the tank is seldom the preferred location for maintenance purposes since the tank must be removed from the vehicle prior to accessing the internal components of the fuel tank assembly through the access hole. Because the fuel delivery module is cantilevered from the flange, the flange and the interconnection to the fuel tank itself must be robust and designed so as to pass high speed vehicle crash tests which create high torque or torsional forces upon the flange. The larger the flange, the more likely the flange seal will fail. Unfortunately, much of the available flange surface area is occupied by the fuel delivery module so that use of the flange surface area for other component mountings, or penetrations into the fuel tank, is limited.